instructors and other qualified pilot fiends

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

The Weak Link (revisited)

Once you've advanced your towing to the point where you're doing full field length tows and landing back at launch, you should be responsible for all aspects of your flight.

Don't we need the permission of the dickhead at the other end of the string? What if we were to use a straight pin barrel release and find out that it was difficult to close over a thick rope with no weak link on the end?

That includes the weak link mentioned earlier.

The Hewett instituted light form of weak link?

The purpose of the weak link is to break if something goes wrong during the tow to increase your safety.

And the list of things that can go wrong and cause it to break to increase our safety is truly amazing - it would fill a book. And the downside of having a weak link break when nothing's going wrong or the glider's climbing hard in a near stall situation can be summed up in a single word - inconvenience. Pretty damn good cost/benefit ratio, don't ya think?

Examples of things that can break it are surges from the winch, too much tension...

So if the tension increases to the point at which the weak link will break the weak link will break? Is that just for Canada or does it work that way in the US as well?

...a tangle in the line or a wear from use.

Fascinating.

In order to keep the weak link doing its job...

Which, we've just established, is to increase our safety.

...it should be replaced regularly.

Because there's a limit to the degree our safety should be increased.

It's the pilot's responsibility to check the weak link before each flight.

Obviously. If it's worn it won't do it's job as effectively.

If the weak link shows any fraying or has been put through several full tension tows, replace it. Remember it is there for your safety...

Don't worry. We've been told for over three decades that it's there for our safety - we won't forget. (We need to get told to remember a lot because when we're watching or experiencing what the Hewett instituted light form of weak link ACTUALLY DOES we always find the precise opposite to be the case.

...and is extremely cheap...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYe3YmdIQTM

...so don't be cheap about replacing it!

And we should be sure to make arrangements for somebody else to replace it...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRrpHNa68iY/UQ6Pv9gRZyI/AAAAAAAAjTg/Hc22bx5122Q/s2048/20943781_BG1.jpg


...just in case it increases our safety to the point that we lose consciousness on the runway and fail to survive the ambulance ride to shock trauma.

Mind you, only use a six to twelve inch piece, and only to make weak links - running out at 2:00 pm in the afternoon can ruin everyone's day. Even though you can buy mason line at any hardware store, it's a little inconvenient to drop everything and go a-shoppin'.

Oh hell...

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?

Jim Rooney - 2011/08/28 19:39:17 UTC

Weak links break for all kinds of reasons.
Some obvious, some not.

The general consensus is the age old adage... "err on the side of caution".

The frustration of a weaklink break is just that, frustration.
And it can be very frustrating for sure. Especially on a good day, which they tend to be. It seems to be a Murphy favourite. You'll be in a long tug line on a stellar day just itching to fly. The stars are all lining up when *bam*, out of nowhere your trip to happy XC land goes up in a flash. Now you've got to hike it all the way back to the back of the line and wait as the "perfect" window drifts on by.

I get it.
It can be a pisser.

But the "other side"... the not cautions one... is not one of frustration, it's one of very real danger.
Better to be frustrated than in a hospital, or worse.
No exaggeration... this is the fire that the "other side" is made of. Best not to play with it.

What's a bit of inconvenience when our safety is being increased?

The idea is to match the pilot and glider weight roughly to the breaking strength of the weak link.

Yeah motherfucker? WHY is the idea to match the pilot and glider weight roughly to the breaking strength of the weak link? What predictions can you make about what happens to the glider after a weak link roughly matched to the pilot and glider weight blows?

As a general rule, solo flights will use four to six strands of weak link, tandems use eight strands and beginners and paragliders use four.

Yeah, you really need extra light weak links for beginners...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjncKQ02FJ8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYe3YmdIQTM


...to keep them from pitching up too much and paragliders...

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=28641
Weak links in towing paragliders with pay out winch

Aart de Wachter - 2009/12/01 19:08:56 UTC

In The Netherlands only static winches are used. Every now and then the cable brakes. This is no problem when you're fifty meters high, but below that a cable or weak link break can be disastrous. The worst we had was somebody breaking his neck after a cable failure at twenty meters.

...from getting their necks too severely broken.

From that, you might pick up that weak links are generally referred to as a number of strands.

No, I picked that up a long time age. The math skills of most of the assholes who run these shows are limited to the single digit range and bench testing is strongly discouraged because lab conditions cannot completely include all the factors and variability that exist in the big, real world - so we tend to shy away from pounds.

Learn to replace the weak link and remember to check it before each flight. It's much quicker to put a new weak link on than launch, have it break, land half way down the field, walk back and then put on a new one!

Yeah, that sounds really inconvenient. But at least it's not dangerous - like, say a rope break...

Manned Kiting
The Basic Handbook of Tow Launched Hang Gliding
Daniel F. Poynter
1974

"The greatest dangers are a rope break or a premature release." - Richard Johnson

...or...

http://vimeo.com/48762486


...premature release.

In the off-chance the weak link does break when you're towing, remember to fly the glider first.

Yeah, if you forget to fly the glider...

0:50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR_4jKLqrus


...things could get a little ugly.

If you have a fair bit of altitude, the nice thing to do is grab hold of the bridle, keep it in your hand and remove it from your release.

But don't forget to...



...keep flying the glider.

Then, fly back over launch and drop it so that another pilot can use it. An even nicer thing to do is use a little common sense and drop it near launch, not on it! Considering how much damage a penny can do when dropped from a good height, chances are that a plummeting bridle will wreck a fair amount of havoc on gliders or pilots on the ground if it happens to hit one of them.

Thanks for pointing that out. That sounds like it could be really dangerous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba_rO_VAhGk


And congratulations on getting all the way through that section without using the word "stall".

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

Releasing

There isn't an awful lot to releasing.

Really?

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3107
I have a tandem rating!!!

Lauren Tjaden - 2008/03/23 22:20:15 UTC

When Jim got me locked out to the right, I couldn't keep the pitch of the glider with one hand for more than a second (the pressure was a zillion pounds, more or less), but the F'ing release slid around when I tried to hit it. The barrel release wouldn't work because we had too much pressure on it.

Anyhow, the tandem can indeed perform big wingovers, as I demonstrated when I finally got separated from the tug.

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3391
More on Zapata and weak link

Paul Tjaden - 2008/07/22 04:32:22 UTC

I have never had a lockout situation happen so quickly and dramatically and had no chance to release as I have always thought I could do.

http://ozreport.com/pub/images/fingerlakesaccident2.jpg
http://ozreport.com/pub/images/fingerlakesaccident3.jpg

Bob Buxton accident
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2oeb0nNIKs
Scott Buxton - 2013/02/10
dead
http://www.kitestrings.org/post5902.html#p5902
016-04308
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3799/13746342624_c9b015f814_o.png


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2809/13746340634_a74b33d285_o.png
022-04610

- So how come it can only be done after you've achieved...

Until you have sufficient height, you will leave the line connected to your release for the entire flight.

...sufficient height and after you've been able to...

Once you have displayed consistent control of the glider, you will be towed high enough to release the line...

...display consistent control of the glider?

- What happens if you're in a situation in which you're no longer able to display...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27yFcEMpfMk

10-2017

11-2201

12-2303

15-2421


...consistent control of the glider?

- Why is blowing the first stage a radical move only advisable above two hundred feet with the glider being flown at trim with your free hand...

What will happen is that you will launch as you have been previously, but when you get to a good height (where the top rope is close to or touching the base tube and you are at a minimum height of 200 feet), you will release ONLY the top rope. The proper procedure for executing this radical move is to place your fingers behind both levers on your release, then use your thumb to press the upper release while flying the glider at trim with your free hand.

...while there isn't an awful lot to releasing the second stage - regardless of the situation?

- Is it easy to release when you're...

If you are pulled in and remove one hand, you will initiate a turn.

...pulled in?

- Is it possible to...

It only takes a second for your glider to get way off course.

...increase the severity of a lockout to a lethal level in the course of release when...

Because the lockout is exaggerated by lack of air speed (poor nose angle), rely on your old friend Mr. Speed.

...we're relying on your old friend Mr. Speed to fight it?

- Why will some pilots slide their left hand to the center of the bar to maintain control and avoid initiating a turn...

Some pilots will slide their left hand to the centre of the bar while letting go with the right hand to maintain control and avoid initiating a turn.

...and what happens to them if the air is somehow able to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yFUkMBhXEg
]
04-1409
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/14555125331_c930110666_o.png


...overpower their efforts to avoid a turn while they're controlling the glider with one hand?

- Why doesn't blowing the second stage cause about the same percentage of lockouts as...

Chances are you won't be very high if you've initiated a lockout as the most common cause is early transition or too little speed during it.

...blowing the first stage?

- If there isn't an awful lot to releasing then why is the Hewett instituted light form of weak link such a critically important component of a safe towing system?

Once you get almost over the winch, simply release the line.

Is there any possibility of you needing to blow tow at some place other than almost over the winch when releasing the line won't necessarily be a simple action without serious consequences?

If there is a crosswind, it is good to fly a little upwind before releasing.

And in doing that you're flying yourself closer to a lockout (ask John Woiwode) so make sure you're nice and high if you do.

One thing to watch out for is the glider correcting its angle of attack when you release the rope.

But this can in no way be an issue when your Hewett instituted light form of weak link suddenly pops - only when the HUMAN picks the moment and circumstances of the separation.

The tension from the tow will pull the nose upwards, and the natural reaction once tension drops is for the nose to come back down to its trim position.

What's it's natural reaction once the tension "drops" (to zero - instantly)...

Donnell Hewett - 1980/12

Now I've heard the argument that "Weak links always break at the worst possible time, when the glider is climbing hard in a near stall situation."

...at the worst possible time, when the glider is climbing hard in a near stall situation?

The feeling it produces is a sudden drop forward which, if you're like me and would rather kneel on rice than deal with the first hill on a roller coaster, just isn't very enticing.

What feeling do you think Terry Mason had...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7462005802_bbc0ac66ac_o.jpg


...when Sam Kellner released him at the worst possible time, when the glider was climbing hard in a near stall situation?

To minimize this dropping, just pull in some speed right before you release, holding the control bar in the centre so that a turn is not initiated.

That's a really good idea! But I guess there are limits to everything. It's a pretty safe bet that Zack Marzec had the bar stuffed when he was standing on his tail and his Hewett instituted light form of weak link fulfilled its purpose of...

The purpose of the weak link is to break if something goes wrong during the tow to increase your safety. Examples of things that can break it are surges from the winch, too much tension...

...breaking to increase his safety when it detected an excessive degree of tension.

Speaking of which... How come you're reporting an unenticing feeling produced by the sudden forward drop resulting from a release you initiated but not from a Hewett instituted light form of weak link popping to increase your safety?

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

Approaches

In short, it's best to set up your final approach near launch, and target the middle of the field as your intended landing line.

Yeah. A really good hang glider pilot will always automatically toss out the first half of the runway as a landing option.

Let common sense prevail - you have a big field, make use of it!

But always aim for the center of it - preferably nothing outside of a five foot radius off of a traffic cone.

RESERVE PARACHUTE

It is mandatory to carry a reserve parachute when step towing and recommended for higher flights of longer duration or especially flying in traffic. It is also important that you in fact know how to use it.

Yeah. Now that we've got the safest releases and weak links capable of being developed in over four decades worth of the sport let's move on devote two pages to the discussion of parachutes - and the scores of lives they've saved at towing operations.

Get fucked.

MODERN PARACHUTES

Modern parachutes are often of the pull down apex style which offer a slower descent with reliable opening. If you have an older parachute you may want to consider upgrading.

But don't worry about your Koch two stage or Hewett instituted light form of weak link - no development on either of those items since the early Eighties.

STEP TOWING

Step towing is how we get really high without the use of grey matter destroying substances.

Thanks to sleazy motherfuckers like Mike Robertson and totally moronic publications like this one hang gliding itself is a grey matter destroying substance.

Exactly how sharp your turn is does not matter too much, except that the quicker and more coordinated the turn, the less height you are likely to lose in the process and, in case you haven't figured it out yet, staying up is a good thing.

Unless your Hewett instituted light form of weak link determines otherwise.

Obviously there comes a point where you have to stop flying downwind and turn back upwind, towards the winch. The timing for this is open, but there are two simple rules:

1) Never, under any circumstances, allow yourself to drop below 500 feet before beginning your downwind turn. In fact, you should start your turn at a minimum of 550 feet so you still have about 500 feet left after you've completed it.

2) On the first downwind turn of any flight, don't fly behind launch, EVEN IF YOU ARE ABOVE 500 feet!!!

3) Never trust anybody with a radio unless he's got a good Plan B.

If you are traveling further downwind than the winch operator would like or you are pulling out too much line, he or she will signal you by jerking the line two or three times. If you feel any obvious (or even not so obvious) jerks, begin your downwind turn immediately, regardless of where or how high you are.

Would've been nice if you had had that system in place when you were towing me, Mike.

This sounds dangerous, and can be - but not when done correctly.

It pales in comparison to the danger of the Hewett instituted light form of weak link and its enablers.

When you make the turn, be sure to continue it until your glider is pointed at the line, not at the winch. This means turning further than you would expect to as you have a bow in the line. If you are pointed at the winch when tension is restored, the tension will technically be coming from the side, not the centre, and could cause a lockout.

That's not that big a deal - lockouts can be corrected fairly easily.

Making Friends (or Enemies)

Hard to go wrong making enemies in this sport.

Gliders pilots, as you already know, are usually pretty easy to get along with.

Unless you know what the fuck you're talking about and care about safety, competency, and the sport in general.

However, keep in mind that all pilots have the same interest you have - air time! Keep the number of steps you take to about two or three if there are a large number of pilots present and three or four if the number is small or moderate.

But in an aerotow operation use a Hewett instituted light form of weak link that blows two or three times in a row and keep getting back in line in front of the people who have their shit together while the soaring window evaporates. You'll be highly praised for your uncompromising stand on safety.

DOLLY LAUNCHES

Not all launches are performed standing up.

In a safe towing operation none of them are.

Once you've hooked in, perform a hang check as usual (well, OK, it's a little different considering you're already hanging and will continue to do so right through launch...

Yeah, isn't it amazing how few unhooked launches there are when the pilot's feeling suspension tension two seconds prior to launch?

Only pilots who have developed solid flying skills should tackle a dolly launch...

TACKLE a dolly launch?

http://vimeo.com/69056841
http://vimeo.com/69056841
http://vimeo.com/17743952
http://vimeo.com/17743952
password - red
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/435/19224482318_2da3f48afe_o.png


Pick one.

...and regardless of skill level, the first couple of attempts should be made in good conditions. The first dolly launch can be intimidating...

No.

...but once you're comfortable you may come to love them, especially in gusty or crosswind conditions, and with higher performance wings.

Go to an aerotow operation on a good weekend and count the number of people who love foot launching.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

RADIO OPERATION

Although we have a variety of manual signals used for launching and so on, most of the communication we do is through the use of two way radios. The use of these radios must be taken seriously, and the radios should not be treated as toys, nor the airwaves as a medium for auditioning for Yuk-Yuk's.

When you have a student depending on the communication should the driver have his in a holster or is it OK to leave it on top of the winch where it can vibrate off the other side? (Motherfucker.)

Commands

So that everyone understands exactly what is happening at all times, and to maintain a high level of safety, there is a certain set of commands used for launching gliders. Don't make up your own language even if you think it makes more sense, because it won't to anyone else who is expecting to hear the normal statements. Before each flight, the radio should be used to communicate the following information to the winch operator who must log it:

- pilot name
- glider type
- pilot's RCR score
- type of launch (foot or dolly)
- number of strands in the weak link
- pilot's flight plan (simply stepping or no stepping for advanced pilots)
- approximate time until tension will be requested

If the winch operator wants to know the:
- pilot name
- glider type
- pilot's RCR score
- type of launch (foot or dolly)
- number of strands in the weak link
- pilot's flight plan (simply stepping or no stepping for advanced pilots)
- approximate time until tension will be requested
but not the:
- number of good strands in the glider's sidewires
- status of the foot launch pilot's connection to the glider
- capability of the pilot to release with both hands on the basetube
the winch operator has no fuckin' business being a winch operator.

The conversation might go something like:

"Hello Dave. Wambatsu is up next on his 165 Spectrum. He will be doing a foot launch on four strands. RCR score is 83. He will be stepping. He's doing his hang check and will be ready for tension in about two minutes."

"Hey Mike. Wambatsu had a few too many last night and looked pretty hung over this morning. Better play it safe and dumb him down to three strands."

Following this, a routine set of commands should be passed to the winch operator. The pilot should issue the first five of these commands "as-is" to the radio operator who should in turn relay them exactly to the winch operator. The commands used are as follows:

- "READY FOR TENSION PLEASE" - when the pilot is ready for initial tension
- "MORE/LESS TENSION PLEASE" - when the pilot wants more or less tension
- "TENSION IS GOOD - THANK YOU" - when the pilot is happy with the tension
- "CLEAR & LAUNCH, CLEAR & LAUNCH" - when the pilot is ready for launch

...and assumed to be connected to his glider.

- "ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!" - when the pilot AND/OR the radio operator thinks the launch should be aborted.

As, for example, when it's discovered that the assumption that he was connected to his glider was incorrect.

Continue yelling "ABORT!" until the winch operator has dropped tension.

- And make sure you YELL. That helps a lot with radio communications - especially when somebody's battery is a bit low.
- So how come we need to yell "ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!"? I thought that...

There isn't an awful lot to releasing.

...there wasn't an awful lot to releasing.

- "TRANSITION COMPLETE" - when the pilot has transitioned

- "CALL 911! CALL 911! CALL 911!" when:
-- the Hewett instituted form of light weak link kicked in too soon
-- "ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!" kicked in too late

If at any time during the launch there is information that the winch operator should know (such as the pilot waiting for a crosswind to pass after tension has been applied), this information should be conveyed to him or her in a clear and concise manor.

A clear and concise manor sounds like a small glass country house.

It is crucial that you never issue any TENSION or CLEAR & LAUNCH commands to the winch operator unless the pilot has specifically given them to you.

Of course. Unless the pilot has specifically given them to you there's a possibility that...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skysailingtowing/message/6406
Hook in failure

Luis Filipe Barradas - 2007/12/16 03:12:38 UTC

Tad and Peter,

I experienced the same accident, but came out only with a broken wrist.

Not accounting for the reasons that allowed me to launch without hooking up...

That's what happened:

Double release (bridle under/over bar) and hydraulic winch, foot launch, hands immediately on the bar, and going up fast, at about 45 degrees angle. The first reaction is to tight the grip, not to release; by the time you blink, you are at twenty-five feet.

One hand out of the bar, and released; could not get the hand back to the bar. Glider banking now to the left. Released the grip of my left hand, on purpose, and fell.

There was not much time for the "what if". Waiting for the 'abort' would take me much higher; I'm not saying that it was the best decision, but it was the one, at that time.

Do not try this at home.

P.S. Yes Tad, you got the translation right; it would never happens if I was using the dolly to take off.

...he might not be hooked in. It's almost a dead certainty that that one happened at your operation, Mike. And you're more responsible for it than he is.

Issuing either of these without having received them could result it serious injury because the pilot will not be ready for the sudden pull of the line.

And, of course, there's no fuckin' way he'll be able to abort the tow himself until he's up at two hundred feet with the glider level and trim.

You should also stay focused on the launch when you are acting as launch director. Don't get involved in other issues happening around the launch unless it is important that you do so...

Like chatting with fuckin' Greg Black while Tad's going up expecting to follow instructions radioed to him by Ray Jarvis back at the winch.

...and never wander off in the middle of directing a launch without first informing the pilot, especially if you are holding the glider by its nose wires or weighting down the glider by holding down the base tube to aid the pilot.

Do's & Don'ts

- DO treat the radios and airwaves with respect.

Would that include securing them so they don't vibrate off the winch?

- DO speak clearly into the radio.

Except when giving the "ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!" command. Then you wanna yell into the radio.

- DO give the winch operator fair warning about tension requests and crosswind wait-outs etc. (i.e. don't ask for ten;sion out of the blue and expect it instantly).

(And don't expect to be able to maintain tension to the next given moment when you're using a Hewett instituted form of light weak link.)

- DO put the radios back in the clubhouse/office/radio box at the end of the day.

After you've picked them up from where they've fallen off the winch.

- DO ask to have a radio attached to your glider or harness if you are more comfortable having an instructor talking to you.

I'll pass, thank you. I'd get in a lot of trouble with the FCC if I said to an instructor what needed to be said to an instructor.

- DON'T treat the radio like the walkie-talkies you had as a kid.

- DON'T use the radios for irrelevant, non-flying related chit-chat.

- DON'T yell into the radio as the winch operator is sometimes wearing headphones and generally isn't on a hell-bent mission to go deaf.

That's mostly a function of the volume control - not how loud you're yelling.

- DON'T try an have a conversation with the winch operator while he is towing someone, unless it is important to the flight at hand.

- DON'T leave radios on car hoods or roofs, your harness as you're hooking in or anywhere else where it might disappear. The accessory box on the ATV is a good place if not you are not sure.

The admonishment not to leave the radio on the winch where it can vibrate off is conspicuous by its absence - motherfucker.

- You didn't forget that nightmare of an incident any more than I did and you're deliberately omitting it because including it would be an admission that you screwed that pooch and dumped all the shit on Yours Truly.

- And by omitting that admonishment you're helping set up some other operation for a rerun.

- DON'T use the radio while an instructor is communicating with a student in the air with another one.

- Don't issue TENSION or CLEAR & LAUNCH commands unless you have received them from the pilot.

Being a Good Launch Operator

First and foremost... Don't be a sleazebag like Mike Robertson.

Once you have done enough tows and have developed reasonable tow skills, you can begin helping other pilots by acting as launch director for them. The job should not be taken lightly, and you should try to do each of the following every time you are launching someone.

- Confirm that the pilot has the skill level to fly in the current conditions.
- Remind the pilot to perform a proper hang check and assist him in doing so.
- Ask spectators, etc. to clear the glider's path while the pilot is readying himself.
- Radio all relevant information (mentioned above) to the winch operator in advance.

Except, of course, the pilot's connection status.

- Relay the pilot's requests to the winch operator immediately after receiving them.

- Advise the pilot of any changing conditions that he or she may not be aware of.

Yeah. He may wanna unhook to get out from under the glider to take a good look for himself.

- Watch the launch carefully and abort it if the pilot gets into trouble - that means any pilot, not just a student!

Make sure you look to see if the glider looks like it's floating abnormally high during the launch run or the pilot's hands start sliding down the downtubes as he's getting airborne.

Even if you are launching the Overlord Hang Gliding Champion of the Earth Realm and he or she appears to be in trouble, you should abort the launch and risk possibly having to later deal with an ego-maniac who will question your judgment. Safety first.

Yeah. And it's PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to crash, injure, kill someone by...

Wills Wing / Blue Sky / Steve Wendt / Ryan Voight Productions - 2007/03

NEVER CUT THE POWER...



Reduce Gradually
Increase Gradually

...cutting the power. If he gets crashed, injured, killed it will be his fault for not reacting appropriately. Remember that not once in the history of hang and para gliding has a tow driver ever been held the tiniest bit accountable for dumping and killing a glider - even if it's Gary Solomon who's:
- illegally flying the tug
- outclimbing the glider
- using a grossly and illegally understrength weak link on his end
and the glider's a tandem.

If the flight's a success you get credited as a competent tow driver.

If it crashes because you:
- gave it too:
-- much gas
-- little gas
- let it go up with an inaccessible release and failed to cut power
- cut the power and dumped it into a stall
it was the glider's fault.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

ROPE RETRIEVAL

Do's & Don'ts

- DO treat the rv with respect

And if you see Greg Black reading Tad the riot act for catching a ride on the RV just let him take all the heat and don't tell Greg that Tad had asked you if it was OK to double up and you had told him yes - motherfucker.

Nose Dip Signals

When neither flags nor radios are available, the pilot can signal the winch operator directly with glider movements. Considering that the operator is specifically watching the glider for certain movements, be sure not to inadvertently perform these signals lest you be pulled along the dirt without your glider or something else along those lines.

...like being pulled into he air with your glider but without your harness connected to it - the way Luis was.

- TENSION PLEASE - Dip the nose of the glider down to the ground and back up (first dip).
- TENSION IS GOOD - Dip the nose of the glider down to the ground and back up (seconnd dip).
- CLEAR & LAUNCH - Dip the nose of the glider down to the ground and back up (third dip).

And for the love o' God don't use a double lift and tug...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9G8ERElpjM

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...as the signal to CLEAR & LAUNCH because that would demonstrate how easily all previous unhooked tow launch disasters could've have been prevented.

In-Flight Signals

There are a few signals that the pilot can give to the winch operator:
- Legs spread - Increase tension.

- Glacial climb rate - Increase tension.
And - just for Tad... Glider:
- floating level four feet off the runway - Cut power.
- coming off the cart in a crosswind a little crooked - Floor it.

Conversely, there are a few signals the winch operator can give the pilot.
- Jerks on a downwind tow - Turn back upwind immediately.
- Strobe Light Turned Off - Release immediately.

Really appreciate you having those in place for me, Mike.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

SUMMARY
Equipment
- Weak Link - Check it carefully
-- four strands - HG beginner or PG solo
-- six or four strands solo HG
-- eight strands tandem HG
-- six strands for tandem PG

Roughly matched to the combined pilot and glider weight - otherwise it won't be a good focal point of your safe towing system.

- Releases - Minimum one inch clearance between release and basebar during hang check

And make sure they're the kind that can only be operated at over two hundred feet with the glider level and trim. We in the Industry want to keep the people who pay us to tow them as afraid as possible of what we can do to them if we feel like it. (And I just realized that's a BIG part of this scam.)

- Radios - be qualified to operate as launch director

On the evening of 1994/06/10 you motherfuckers demonstrated that you are no way in hell qualified to operate as launch directors. And it would be fun to get a date for when you hauled Luis up unhooked.

Pre-launch

- Do RCR's (start evening before, or on way to field). Continue to watch conditions throughout the day. Do not assume that it is okay to fly because your instructor hasn't cut you off yet.

If it's not OK to fly and your instructor hasn't cut you off then just how valid is the other crap you've been fed by him?

- Hook in to Glider FIRST!
- Hang check (HG).

You're good to go. No fuckin' way is it possible to launch unhooked after you've done a hang check.

- Check two or three-string and that it is centred (PG).

- If it's a two-string - don't fly it.
- Use a tow ring on a bridle so you don't have to worry about centering.

Launch Procedures

...

- Breathe and visualize light grip, eyes up and forward, launch, flight and landing.

Think only happy thoughts. Don't upset yourself wondering:

- if there was a possibility that something happened subsequent to your hang check to cause you to...

http://ozreport.com/forum/files/copy_2_of_imgp1239_197.jpg
http://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7220/13949046702_ccfa0fafab_o.png

http://www.thekiteboarder.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/opener-532x800.jpg

...unhook

- what would happen if you got:
-- blasted by a thermal at a hundred feet and your Hewett instituted form of light weak link kicked in to protect you from a hot climb
-- into one of those rare lockouts that can't be corrected and your best options for survival are:
--- yelling "ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!" into the radio
--- waiting for your Hewett instituted form of light weak link to kick in

- Check WINGS BALANCED, level, good control, good conditions, and the all important hook-in double check.

Holy shit - I missed that on the previous skims.

Reboot. OK, so...

- How come:

-- this is the first we're hearing of the all important hook-in double check?

-- we have no description of the all important hook-in double check?

-- the all important hook-in double check isn't being used to signal the launch director that the glider's good to go?

-- we see absolutely no indication of Mike's student Don Arsenault:

http://vimeo.com/66546268


doing anything remotely resembling the all important hook-in double check?

-- we didn't hear a single solitary word about the all important hook-in double check from this motherfucker or any of his staff, students, or patrons in the wake of the 2012/04/28 Lenami Godinez-Avila disaster?

- For anyone who understands the all important hook-in check:
-- it's not a "DOUBLE" check - it's THE check
-- the fucking goddam hang check isn't the "Old Faithful" that EVERYONE does EVERY TIME - it's the main CAUSE of unhooked launches

- Yell "Abort, Abort, Abort" if anything is beyond your liking, such as sudden gust or tripping. Launch director will relay the abort in same manner. Tension will be dropped.

Not even the slightest pretense of a suggestion that the supposed "Pilot In Command" actuate his release to abort the launch himself - as that's so obviously an absurd physical impossibility. The REAL Pilot In Command is several thousand feet away making decisions based on radio communications relayed by the Second In Command launch director. The guy on the glider is at the bottom of he pecking order and just along for the ride at this point - with, of course, the permission of his Hewett instituted form of light weak link.

- Launch director may Abort you even if you felt everything was O.K. (A conservative abort is WAY BETTER than none when needed).

- Like I just said - bottom of the heap.

- Bullshit.

- It's virtually *ALWAYS* WAY BETTER to be going up than dealing with an aborted launch - especially one aborted by a couple of incompetent motherfuckers who don't have either of their own asses on the line.

- There's not much worse that can happen to a hang glider pilot than being killed and hang glider pilots HAVE been killed by incompetent motherfuckers making good decisions in the interest of their safety.

- As glider lifts, keep it flying and wait for IT to pick YOU up off ground, rather than jumping into it too early. (Extra step in air).

And stay as ready as possible to get dumped on your face as or after you get picked up off the ground by your Hewett instituted form of light weak link or some incompetent motherfucker making a good decision in the interest of your safety.

Flying on tow

- Relax and keep eyes forward. Look at the winch.

Don't relax. Keep thinking about the substantial risk of getting dumped on your face by your Hewett instituted form of light weak link or some incompetent motherfucker making a good decision in the interest of your safety - and the people who've been crippled and killed as consequences.

- Keep glider flying straight towards winch or rope. ("Follow the rope").

(Assuming you're still connected to it and it's still under tension at this point.)

- If glider gets severely off-line, it will require much more speed and roll correction than normal. Never give up.

Right. Keep that sucker inside the Cone of Safety - you'll be fine.

Release past 45° off-line.

- And don't worry about the glider will do when you take your hand off the basetube or what the ground will be doing while and after you're working on the problem - you'll be fine. Keep visualizing a happy outcome.

- How could the Hewett instituted form of light weak link have possibly failed to increase your safety before the glider this far out of whack?

- Wouldn't your ace launch director and/or winch driver already have aborted the tow at this point? After all - they've got the snap judgment and lightning responses required to be able to dump you when you're coming off the ground completely unaware that something might be seriously amiss from your perspective on the glider. And neither of them has to experience the unplanned semi-loop you're gonna be dealing with as soon as you attempt to execute the decision.

- Be sure to watch your Target. (Look where you want to go, for you go where you are looking.)

Especially when you're engaged in correcting a lockout. Extremely important to keep looking where you wanna go because you REALLY don't wanna be looking at where...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_n5B3-MIC4

05-1318

07-1522

11-1814

12-1915

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http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xh_NfnOcUns/UZ4Lm0HvXnI/AAAAAAAAGyk/0PlgrHfc__M/s1024/GOPR5279.JPG
...you're ACTUALLY going.

Keep some speed, but NOT too much, during first fifty feet of climb.

Make sure you've got enough to be able to maintain a...

0:50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR_4jKLqrus

...twenty-four inch safety cushion just in case your Hewett instituted form of light weak link suddenly decides to increase your safety.

- Experienced pilots may switch to prone after launch is complete and glider is stable in flight preferably above thirty feet.

Inexperienced pilots will be foot launching and must stay upright with their hands on the downtubes so they'll always be in good shape to land safely WHEN...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYe3YmdIQTM


...their Hewett instituted form of light weak link suddenly decides to increase their safety.

- Watch top rope (intermediate tow students or experienced pilots) until it starts to touch base bar, then transition to bottom rope (min. 200 feet).

Yeah, if it starts pulling the bar back below two hundred then deal with it 'cause you REALLY don't wanna be taking your hand off the controls below two hundred.

- Enjoy flight, get upright early (HG) and plan landing approach early to avoid last-minute scary approaches (over obstacles, in wind shadows, over launching pilots, etc.).

Yeah, make sure you get upright early and get your hands on the downtubes at shoulder or ear height...

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27086
Steve Pearson on landings

Steve Pearson - 2012/03/28 23:26:05 UTC

I can't control the glider in strong air with my hands at shoulder or ear height and I'd rather land on my belly with my hands on the basetube than get turned downwind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuMxK9PadzA

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...in case you hafta land in a narrow dry riverbed with large rocks strewn all over the place.

Unusual Situations and Emergency Procedures

- Hard landings - (HG) be sure to assume "crash" position - relax, bring arms INTO body by letting go, harness will keep you up. Tuck and roll prevents strains and other more severe injuries.

Or...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Gd2kcyOes

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7:15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72SJu09S-Y0

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9-72800

- Early releases and weak link failures - let glider get some airspeed but not too much (trim position or one inch faster). Look for clear landing area.

Get fucked.

Manned Kiting
The Basic Handbook of Tow Launched Hang Gliding
Daniel F. Poynter
1974

"The greatest dangers are a rope break or a premature release." - Richard Johnson

There's not much more excuse for having an early release or weak link failure than there is for having a sidewire failure. Any one can be as deadly as the next and they're all marks of negligence, incompetence, and stupidity.
Ditto with respect to some stupid douchebag on the ground or the tug...

"A bad flyer won't hurt a pin man but a bad pin man can kill a flyer." - Bill Bennett

...dumping the glider. Even in Day one scooter towing there's zero excuse for...

Wills Wing / Blue Sky / Steve Wendt / Ryan Voight Productions - 2007/03

NEVER CUT THE POWER...



Reduce Gradually
Increase Gradually

...dumping the glider.

Stop trying to con us into thinking that these are normal, routine, acceptable events.

- Rope breaks - see Tow Manual

Get fucked. See above.

- Parachute deployments - see Tow Manual

Yeah. Let's talk about parachute deployments - which NEVER happen. And ignore REAL lockouts, the kind you can't correct, and stalls - which happen all the time.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

THIS:

Don't be surprised if the launch director aborts your launch, even if you think everything was going well. A good launch director may see something happening that you don't, and can concentrate on deciding whether or not the launch should be aborted (considering he or she is not having to worry about flying the glider). This applies to all pilots, not just beginners. Be understanding if a launch director aborts your launch. He or she is concerned for your safety when you are launching, and it's always better to restart a launch that didn't need to be aborted than replace the broken tubes or arms that can easily result from one not being aborted when it should have been.

is a total load of crap.

- A good launch director doesn't let defective gliders, tow equipment, and/or pilots get into launch position and suddenly see something wrong that he and the glider pilot somehow missed up to the point that the glider started getting airborne.

- A mountain launch instructor doesn't suddenly decide that the glider isn't up to snuff or the student doesn't really know what he's doing or isn't aware of a problem when he's ten steps down the slope or three steps down the ramp.

- Any launch director who would even think of doing something like that is a total douchebag.

- Once that glider's in position and makes the call it's time for all the other goddam fucking cooks to let the goddam Pilot In Command be the goddam Pilot In Command to the maximum extent possible.

- We don't have goddam fucking launch directors aborting aerotow launches, tug drivers have virtually no ability to compensate for glider releases that stink on ice, and when tug drivers attempt to compensate for glider releases that stink on ice the results tend to be dead gliders.

- If a goddam fucking launch director aborts a launch that's a serious incident and there needs to be a well publicized incident report to help keep whatever bullshit that happened from ever happening again. And I'm not seeing any incident reports coming out of any of you High Perspective motherfuckers - or, for for that matter, any other surface tow motherfuckers.

- When there was an incident with two of you High Perspective motherfuckers involving Yours Truly and your shit equipment and procedures you had it published in the excellent book, Towing Aloft, by Dennis Pagen and Bill Bryden and it was a load of distortions, lies, and shit - like goddam near everything else in the excellent book, Towing Aloft, by Dennis Pagen and Bill Bryden.

- When you launched Luis Barradas unhooked and he broke his wrist you didn't abort the tow - just like you don't abort any other tows - and you didn't report the incident.

- When you launched Don Arsenault on a dangerous defective piece of shit release you sold him...

http://vimeo.com/48762486


...you didn't report the incident - you kept putting him up on the dangerous defective piece of shit release you sold him until after...

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=27044
Here's a scary one for ya!

Don Arsenault - 2012/09/05 01:09:41 UTC

It was not a weak link break and I don't believe the release touched the control bar. I got a crap release. That's all there is to it. I never ever had a double release on any of the training harnesses. When I switched to the spaghetti and bought this release it double released on me all the time, but I usually don't transition until at least two hundred feet so it's always been a non-event. Annoying, but a non-event. I told them there was something wrong with the release, and they didn't believe me. Thought I was too new, and it was my technique. Until this flight. The release just let go. My hands never left the down tubes, and it did not touch the base bar. It was the final straw. If I let the video keep rolling, you would have seen me quickly lose my cool, and yell and curse and march into the office to demand a new release. I got one, and my next flight went great.

...he went postal on your sleazy asses.

Y'all can go fuck yourselves and you can take that crap about your highly experienced, professional, and safety conscious launch directors and shove it back up your asses where it belongs.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

Student Notes

- Do not allow anyone but your instructor to instruct you unless you have your instructor's permission. Beware of advice from a well meaning person nicknamed 'Crash'.

So, obviously, all these highly trained and professional instructors the world over have complete understandings of all the issues and will all be on the same page...

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?

Jim Rooney - 2011/08/28 08:34:12 UTC

Yeah, I've read that drivel before.
It's a load of shit.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRrpHNa68iY/UQ6Pv9gRZyI/AAAAAAAAjTg/Hc22bx5122Q/s2048/20943781_BG1.jpg


http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30971
Zach Marzec

Jim Rooney - 2013/03/07 18:24:58 UTC

You're the one advocating change here, not me.
I'm fine.

These are only questions if you're advocating change. Which I'm not. You are.

You're the one speculating on Zack's death... not me.
Hell, you've even already come to your conclusions... you've made up your mind and you "know" what happened and what to do about.
It's disgusting and you need to stop.
You weren't there. You don't know.
All you have is the tug pilot report, who himself says he doesn't know... and HE WAS THERE... and he doesn't know.

Ever heard of "Confirmation Bias"?
Because you're a textbook example.
You were out looking for data to support your preconceived conclusion, rather than looking at the data and seeing what it tells you... which is why this is the first time we've heard from you and your gang.

Go back to Tad's hole in the ground.
While you're there, ask him why he was banned from every east coast flying site.

...but if we listen to some weekend warrior muppet with a different slant on things we're totally fucked - our deaths are inevitable.

- Stay in upright position on downtubes until instructed otherwise.

Get...

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26379
Landings

Jim Rooney - 2012/01/27 09:20:28 UTC

A while ago, I taught a student... from day one, to land on her wheels with absolutely zero intention of foot landing.
We do this all the time with aerotowing students.
So why not with hill students?

And I mean from day 1.
Yes, even the training hill flights.

Wheels wheels wheels wheels.

As a student, she was only going to be landing in a gigantic, manicured field for a long long time. So what's the bother?
Learn to fly.
Learn to not smash into the earth.

...fucked.

- Be sure you have a radio mounted until your instructor and you agree you don't need one.

How DID I ever manage to get through over a decade of hang gliding and a up to a Hang Four rating before I mounted a radio on my harness.

- FLY ONLY under the guidance of an instructor until you graduate from the tow course. If you are in doubt as to who is a qualified instructor, ASK!

I wouldn't send anybody about whom I gave a rat's ass to any of you assholes.

- Concentrate on quality technique rather than just getting airtime.

Don't worry. Our Hewett instituted form of light weak link will make sure we get plenty of takeoff, stall recovery, and emergency landing practice before we can hope to get any airtime.

The airtime will come far quicker if quality technique is practiced. You have your whole life to fly.

Yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYe3YmdIQTM


Right.

Modify RCRs as conditions change.

Can we modify them on the fly at a hundred feet if one of those thermals we were looking for proves to be a little better and lower than what we were expecting?

- Please call to book a morning or evening, in advance, then check the answering machine before you leave to be sure there are no last minute cancellations. Leave a message to say that you're coming.

Is this a tow manual or an infomercial?

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/112851827/More-Tension-Brian-Fotheringham-Michael-Robertson-Leslie-Peter-Darian
MORE TENSION - Brian Fotheringham / Michael Robertson

TOW SAVVY TEST

Lockouts

- What is the dreaded lockout and how is it prevented?

There's really nothing to be dreaded about a lockout. It's a mere inconvenience - like the failure of a Hewett instituted form of light weak link but with the glider stuck on tow rather than being kicked off of it - and the worst possible consequence is having to land at the wrong end of the field, a different field, wherever and having to walk your glider back to launch. In fact you may not ever be able to recognize that you're in one unless you've read and understood a good description.

And the term's a total misnomer - if it was really a lockout it couldn't be corrected and it's actually fairly easy to correct.

It's impossible to get into a really dangerous situation on tow when using a Hewett instituted form of light weak link because, while it permits a good rate of climb...

Jerry Forburger - 1990/10

High line tensions reduce the pilot's ability to control the glider and we all know that the killer "lockout" is caused by high towline tension.

...it will break before the glider can get out of control, stall, or collapse and we'll thus be automatically shifted from danger to inconvenience mode.

The most common cause of the "dreaded" (or "killer") "lockout" is sneaking into the launch line with a Tad-O-Link and taking your hand off the basetube at two hundred feet to blow the first stage of a two stage release when you're level, going slow, and don't have any bar pressure.

- If you experience a lockout, how is it corrected (or what should you do)?

The ultimate remedy is to take your hand off the basetube to blow the second stage of the two stage release at high speed with a lot of bar pressure (assuming, of course, that you're still above the two hundred foot minimum altitude at which it's acceptable to take a hand off the basetube).

But there's really no need for anything as radical as releasing in the vast majority of cases. Just try not to panic, continue to fly the glider, look where you want to go, never give up, get what help you can from our old friend Mr. Speed, and high side it until you regain control.

If, however, you're too much of a muppet to correct the locket and get beyond 45 degrees out of whack simply release the towline land into the wind, and carry the glider back to the flight line.

Name three types of release

- radio
- mason line
- hook knife

Whose responsibility is it to check the weak link on each flight?

- The Pilot In Command makes sure that it's weak enough to prevent his Dragonfly form stalling.
- The glider passenger makes sure that it's not frayed enough to increase his inconvenience rate unduly.

How many strands of mason line are an appropriate weak link for:
(a) beginners
(b) experienced solos
(c) tandems
(d) paragliders

It doesn't matter. It just needs to be 1.5 inches or less.

What approximate breaking strength would a weak link be relative to the pilot's weight?

The same. You could throw in the glider weight to get a weak link that meets your expectation of breaking as early as possible in lockout situations but being strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent breaks from turbulence but you haven't given us the glider weight so we'll just play it on the safe side.

Under tow the glider starts heading off to the right. You try to correct but the glider continues in its bank, resisting your efforts. What should you do?

Keep correcting. It'll come around eventually.

Is there any piece of extra safety equipment required for step towing?

No. You already have a backup loop.

Whose responsibility is the rope and bridle during towing, i.e. who pays for it if it gets lost?

Tad. Even if the winch guy doesn't secure his radio, the launch director isn't paying attention to what's going on, and the rope and bridle are recovered. Tad WILL pay for it and pay for it ALL. But whenever everything goes fine it'll be entirely due to the excellent professional operation Mike runs.

What is the most important focal point when turning at the downwind end for a step?

The weak link. There's NOTHING that's a more important focal point in ANY flavor of towing.

What things should be re-checked just prior to launching on a hydrostatic winch tow?

- Foot Launch - Give three.

- chin strap
- vario settings
- camera focus

- Dolly Launch - Give four.

- backup loop
- carabiner locking barrel
- hook knife
- parachute repack date

What aspects of the Charts of Reliability, if any, should be done before winch towing?

If you're towing with someone who sets you up with an inaccessible release, scales weak links with flying weight and/or pilot skill levels, and uses Charts of Reliability then stay on the ground.

What are the aspects of a hang check for towing that differ from foot launch?

- So there's no such thing as foot launch towing?

- A slope launch hang check should be completed before you leave the setup or staging area. In towing being connected to the glider isn't all that important 'cause you're starting at the same elevation as the stuff in front of you.

How do you know if you are running out of line on the downwind run?

Mike will finally start paying attention to his operation and radio you to turn around four seconds before the last of the line comes off the drum.

(Hey Mike... If you'd told me to dump the line immediately you could have just reeled it back in.)

If you run the line of the winch drum of the winch, what should you do?

Prepare yourself to have Mike and Dennis collaborate with distortions and lies to portray you as the most unimaginable asshole anyone could possibly meet.

What should you do if the rope breaks during a tow?

There's no possibility of the rope breaking during a tow. We've got a top notch professional launch director who wouldn't ever allow us to go up on some dangerous piece of crap that could...

http://vimeo.com/48762486


...dump us into a dangerous stall.

If the winds are strong and gusty should the weak link be stronger?

Fuck no! You want it WEAKER!!! It's in strong and gusty winds that you need your best lockout and stall protection.
If the glider gets killed - Paul Tjaden, Dr. Trisa Tilletti, and Tim Herr.

If you were coming up over the winch and getting ready to turn to do a step, what would it mean if your shadow was very close to the winch?

That it's somewhere close to noon and isn't raining - and it would be a bad idea for the winch driver to be watching you through binoculars.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.shga.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=4106
Spammer Reporting?

NMERider - 2013/08/14 06:37:26 UTC

Is there and quick and easy way to report spammers so we can keep the forum clear of clutter? Or at least make more room for OP-Doug?

Orion Price - 2013/08/14 15:23:11 UTC

Quickest and easiest is to just update the PHPBB from the circa 2004 version 2, Up to the modern ver 3. I'm surprised that there aren't as many bots spamming us.

Talking with DavisS, someone who runs a large free flight forum, about search engines. There are a bunch of problems that arise when you allow them to crawl the entries.

Yeah, it makes it a lot easier for the public to see the kind of shit he and his buddies are doing and getting away with.

SPEAKING OF WHICH...

It's now just a wee bit shy of five months since you were gonna use your high tech equipment to solve hang gliding's decades old mystery of the breaking point of a loop of 130 pound Greenspot and we've heard NOTHING - which is EXACTLY what one would expect and EXACTLY what I predicted.

http://www.kitestrings.org/post3987.html#p3987

You've:

- been to the US Nationals so you've been privy to the highly classified intelligence about what weak links the dickheads running it were gonna force everyone to use

- demonstrated the unfathomable stupidity it took to go up in thermal conditions on the EXACT same configuration that killed Zack Marzec on 2013/02/02 which doesn't even allow you to follow the fucking Dragonfly in a gentle turn...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjRrYAOnqqw

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...let alone survive a blast

- not bothered to:
-- collect and test samples of the permitted fishing line; or even
-- tell us what it is so people who AREN'T total wastes of space could figure out what bullshit is going on

You're just another dumb glider jock who'll leave the sport a little worse than he found it.

P.S. DavisS's large free flight forum...

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1041
"Sharing" of Hang Gliding Information ?!?

Merlin - 2012/05/26 13:22:30 UTC

I confess to previously having a bit of an Oz Report habit, but the forced login thing has turned me off permanently, and I am in fact grateful. Frankly, the site had pretty much been reduced to a few dedicated sycophants in any case.

I've seen many times the destructive consequences of "control freaks".

...ain't all that large anymore. Any time anyone starts making any progress in moving anything in a positive direction he locks the thread down. The only thing it's useful for is documenting some of the death and destruction and a lot of the stupidity and corruption.

But you keep talking to him. You'll enjoy the friendship and I'll keep getting good quotes and videos.